<p>Hey, I'm a Duke freshman....</p>
<p>Wants:
A solid pre-med experience with a major in economics (not sure which path to follow, medicine or economics, so I want my options open) I know of PLENTY of people who major in econ and are premed. The premed program here is excellent - I think it's something like 85% of premeds get into med school or something while the national avg. is waaay lower. I'm not actually premed so I don't know the actual stats, but many friends are and this is what they've said.
I do want to have fun but I don't plan to party that much so I know that negates Duke's partying scene I really don't party much, and I'd say around half or maybe slightly more of my dorm doesn't (and I'm not in wellness either). It's really not a big deal. There are plenty of other things to do.
I am an avid runner and thus I need surroundings that allow me to run 5+ miles (don't mind looping but I want to make sure there are safe and easy places to run, sidewalks, trails etc.) I'd say Duke is excellent for this. Thousands (literally) of acres of forest, trails everywhere, many people often run from East to West campus, there is a trail around East campus, several sidewalks and stuff on West, the Duke gardens to run through. There is DEFINITELY no lack of trails or (very gorgeous!) places to run.</p>
<p>Issues with either:
Durham? how bad is the town? do people who go to Duke mind? Um, Durham's really not great...If you're on campus you're fine, but going off campus after dark can get pretty dangerous. If you want a big city with lots of off-campus activity, Duke's not the place to go. Everything we have is self-contained, basically. Everything happens on campus (which is actually kind of nice - less need to walk/travel). But overall, it's ok in the daytime - there's a mall a few blocks from East campus, 9th street with many many restaurants and stores just 2 blocks from East.<br>
East and West Campus at Duke, is this a hassle to go back and forth? issue at all? Honestly, if you're a freshman and living on East with all your classes on West, this could get annoying at night when the buses are running ever 10 or so minutes. Otherwise, there's no problem at all. If you're trying to catch a bus during the weekday before I think 6 or 7, there are more than enough buses there. Often I'll get to the bus stop to see 2 or even 3 buses just waiting there. You really shouldn't factor this separation into your final decision. It's not a big deal, basically, and when you're living on West it's certainly not at all an issue.
Segregation at Duke? is this prevalent? It can be, and whatever exists is self-segregation. The main thing I've seen is international students who tend to stick to themselves. A friend who's international was telling me that a lot of the students coming from the same country were friends there and chose Duke together, so that probably explains it. Overall, my friends include whites, Asians, African-Americans, and Hispanic, and I know most friend "groups" do. </p>
<p>But as CNI was saying, UChicago and Duke are very different schools, and you'll have to visit both or talk to lots of people from both to figure it out. I'd describe Duke as full of very laid-back students who care about their grades, but not to the point of cut-throatness at ALL. Regardless of whether or not there's a curve, everyone helps each other out, and I've never met anyone who's openly rude/unwilling to help. People are incredibly friendly and open-minded, and it's also really easy to form your own circle of like-minded, yet diverse, friends. I hope this helped a bit, ask if you have any more questions, and GOOD LUCK! :)</p>